WIRELESS MULTIMODE CO-BAND RECEIVER DEVICE AND METHOD EMPLOYING RECEIVER BYPASS CONTROL

Abstract

A wireless multimode radio access technology (RAT) handheld device (100) utilizes first and second wireless radio access technology receivers (108 and 110) includes at least one shared receiver component (120 or 121 or 123) that is within a shared receive path that is shared by both the different RAT receivers (108 and 110) when in a multimode receiver operation. The handheld device (100) includes a radio access technology bypass switch (106) and corresponding logic (112), that controls the RAT bypass switch to bypass the at least one receiver component (120 or 121 or 123) that is shared between the first and second RAT receivers (108 and 110), when the handheld device is in a single RAT receive mode of operation. A method is also disclosed that includes determining (202) if a single RAT receive mode of operation or a multi-RAT receive mode of operation is desired. The method also includes bypassing (204) at least one shared receiver component from a receive path for a corresponding RAT receiver used for the single mode of operation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more readily understood in view of the following description when accompanied by the below figures and wherein like reference numerals represent like elements:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a portion of a wireless multimode radio access technology handheld device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating one example of a method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating one example of a method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating another example of a wireless multimode radio access technology handheld device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. In a device having a first radio access technology (RAT) receiver and a second RAT receiver that use a shared signal receive path that includes at least one shared receiver component, a method comprising: determining if a single RAT receive mode of operation or a multi-RAT receive mode of operation is desired; andif a single RAT receive mode of operation is desired, bypassing the at least one shared receiver component from a receive path for a corresponding RAT receiver used for the single mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein bypassing the at least one shared receiver component from a receive path for the corresponding RAT receiver used for the single mode of operation comprises bypassing at least a signal splitter that provides received information into a first signal and a second signal for the first and second RAT receivers, a low noise amplifier and a duplexer.

3. In a device having at least a first radio access technology (RAT) receiver and a second RAT receiver that use a shared signal receive path that includes at least one shared receiver component, a method comprising: determining a desired receive mode based on received information that is received by the at least a first and second RAT receivers; andif a single receive mode of operation is desired using the second RAT receiver, control a RAT bypass switch and at least an antenna transmit/receive switch to bypass at least one receiver component associated with the first RAT receiver.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the desired receive mode based on received information that is received by the at least first and second wireless radio access technology receivers comprises simultaneously receiving information by the first and second wireless RAT receivers and controlling the RAT bypass switch and antenna transmit/receive switch to bypass at least a low noise amplifier used to amplify received information for the first RAT receiver.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one bypassed receiver component comprises at least one of: a WCDMA duplexer, a signal splitter and a low noise amplifier operative to amplify the first signal for the first RAT receiver.

6. The method of claim 3 comprising sending power control information to a RAT transmitter in response to bypassing the at least one receiver component of the first RAT receiver to control a power level of the incoming signal that is received by the second RAT receiver in response to activation of the radio access technology (RAT) bypass switch.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the desired receive mode based on received information that is received by at least first and second wireless radio access technology receivers includes determining whether there exists a suitable cell which belongs to a first radio access technology with which the hand held device can communicate with.

8. The method of claim 4 comprising turning off power to the low noise amplifier used for the first RAT receiver in response to bypassing the low noise amplifier.

9. The method of claim 3 further comprising controlling the first and second RAT receivers to either simultaneously receive incoming signals or sequentially receive incoming signals to determine if a single RAT receive mode of operation is desired using the second RAT receiver or a multi-RAT receive mode of operation is desired.

10. The method of claim 3 comprising, during a cell reselection operation, controlling the RAT bypass switch and antenna transmit/receive switch to disconnect the first RAT receiver and connect the second RAT receiver to receive the incoming signal from an antenna to provide a single RAT receive mode and switch back to a multi RAT receive mode before a next scheduled search frame is used to perform a cell decode operation.

11. A wireless multimode radio access technology (RAT) handheld device comprising: at least an antenna transmit/receive switch operatively coupled to an antenna;at least first and second wireless radio access technology (RAT) receivers, operatively coupled to the antenna transmit/receive switch, that use a shared signal receive path that includes at least one shared receiver component;a RAT bypass switch, operatively coupled to the second RAT receiver and to the antenna transmit/receive switch, with a first position operative to couple the second RAT receiver to the at least one shared receiver component and a second position operative to bypass the at least one shared receiver component; andlogic operative to control the RAT bypass switch and the antenna transmit/receive switch to bypass the at least one shared receiver component if a single RAT receive mode of operation is desired using the second RAT receiver.

12. The wireless handheld device of claim 11 wherein the at least one receiver component comprises a WCDMA duplexer, a low noise amplifier and a signal splitter, the amplifier having an input operatively coupled to the antenna transmit/receive switch through the WCDMA duplexer and an output operatively coupled to the signal splitter, the signal splitter having a first output operatively coupled to the first RAT receiver and a second output operatively coupled to the RAT bypass switch.

13. The wireless handheld device of claim 11 wherein the logic is operative to provide a single RAT receive mode by at least generating single RAT mode bypass switch control information to control the RAT bypass switch, generate antenna transmit/receive switch control information to control the antenna transmit/receive switch to switch to a single RAT receive mode of operation and generate shared component disable information to disable the shared component used in a multi-RAT receive mode.

14. The wireless handheld device of claim 11 wherein the logic is operative to generate power control information for a base station in response to controlling bypassing of the receiver components of the first RAT receiver to control a power level of a received signal that is received by the second RAT receiver in response to bypassing the at least one receiver component associated with the first RAT receiver.

15. The wireless handheld device of claim 11 wherein the logic is operative to determine a desired RAT receive mode based on received information that is received by the at least first and second wireless radio access technology receivers via different radio access technology transmitters by determining whether a current cell is a suitable cell to camp on.

16. A wireless multimode radio access technology (RAT) handheld device comprising: at least an antenna transmit/receive switch operatively coupled to an antenna and including a single RAT mode switch operation;at least first and second wireless radio access technology receivers;a low noise amplifier (LNA) and a signal splitter, the amplifier having an input operatively coupled to the antenna transmit/receive switch through a WCDMA duplexer and an output operatively coupled to the signal splitter, the signal splitter having a first output operatively coupled to the first RAT receiver and a second output;a radio access technology (RAT) bypass switch, operatively coupled to the antenna transmit/receive switch, to the second output of the signal splitter and to the second RAT receiver; andlogic operative to control the RAT bypass switch and at least the antenna transmit/receive switch to bypass the amplifier and signal splitter if a single RAT receive mode of operation is desired using the second RAT receiver.

17. The wireless handheld device of claim 16 wherein the logic is operative to provide a single RAT receive mode by at least generating single RAT mode bypass switch control information to control the RAT bypass switch, generate transmit/receive antenna switch control information to control the antenna transmit/receive switch to switch to a single RAT receive mode of operation and generate amplifier disable information to disable an amplifier used in a multi-RAT receive mode of operation.

18. The wireless handheld device of claim 16 wherein the logic is operative to generate power control information for a base station in response to controlling bypassing of the receiver components of the first RAT receiver to control a power level of a received signal that is received by the second RAT receiver in response to bypassing the amplifier and signal splitter.

19. The wireless handheld device of claim 16 wherein the logic is operative to determine a desired receive mode based on received information that is received by the at least first and second wireless radio access technology receivers via different radio access technology transmitters by determining whether a current cell is a suitable cell to camp on.